Collapsible file holder



y 1962 R. c. DETHARDT ETAL 3,033,378

COLLAPSIBLE FILE HOLDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 9, 1960 INVENTORS: E/Cl/A 20 C05 fl/Alepr JA (05 /?/5fiN.S BY W ATTORNEY May 8, 1962 R c. DETHARDT ETAL 3,033,378

COLLAPSIBLE FILE HOLDER Filed May 9, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TORS EMA A P0 6. 0074 4007 JA (05 d. QIBBE/VJ ATTORNEY- Patented May 8;, 1962 3,033,378 COLLAPSIBLE FILE HOLDER Richard C. Dethardt, Brownsville, and Jacob J. Ribbens, Mayville, Wis., assignors to Tab Products Co., San Francisco, Calif., a corporation of California Filed May9, 1960,Ser. No. 27,722

8 Claims. (Cl. 211126) This invention relates to a collapsible file holder.

More particularly this invention relates to a file holder comprising a cardboard body "having closed sides and a closed bottom, which is open at the top and at one end for access to insert and remove files, which has one end closed by an end piece or' rear member which also provides strength and rigidity and which has means to suspend it from a horizontal suspension rail. In its preferred form the rear member is readily attached to and detached from the cardboard body so that the cardboard body can be stored and shipped in flat condition and then assembled into operating, functioning condition with the rear member'in place.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved file holder of the character described.

It is a further object'of the invention toprovide a file holder in which the body portion isfoldable as described above, and which has an improved type of rear member for the cardboard body which is readily attachable to and detachable from the cardboard body, Which'is simple to manufacture, whichprovides a high degree of strength and rigidity and which serves to suspend the file container from a horizontal rail or the like.

The above and other'objects of the invention will be apparent from the ensuing description and the-appended claims. i 1

One form of the invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the file container of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary exploded view in perspective showing the manner in which the rear member is engaged with and disengaged from the cardboard body. FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary view in side elevation showing two of the file holders of FIGURE l'suspended from horizontal suspension rails on a suspension 'filing rack. I

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the cardboard body of the file holder of FIGURE 1 shown in flat condition suitable for storage and shipment. l

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged'rear view in perspective of the rear member of the file container.

FIGURE 6 is an'enlarged front or inside view in perspective of the rear member.

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged view partly in top plan and partly in horizontal section taken through the rear 'of the file holder of FIGURE 1, and it shows in more detail how the rear member is attached to the cardboard body.

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmentary detailed view showing the manner in which the file holder of FIGURE 1 is suspended from a horizontal suspension rail.

Referring now to the drawings and preliminarily to FIGURES l and 2, the file holder of the invention is shown in FIGURE 1 and is generally designated by the reference numeral 10. It comprises a body portion 11 and a rear member 12. The body portion 11 may be made of sheet metal, plastic or any other suitable material but preferably it is made of stiff cardboard so that it can be stored and shipped in flat condition and then easily folded to the general rectangular, box-like shape illustrated in FIGURE 1. The rear member 12 may be of wood, metal, cardboard or any other desired construction but preferably it is of molded plastic constr uv tion, being molded all in one piece.

Referring now more particularly to FIGURE 4 the body 11 is there shown in fiat condition as it would be stored and shipped. It comprises two side walls 13 and an intervening bottom portion 14 which is separated from the side walls 13 by a doubly scored or hinged'portions 15. It also comprises an ear or flap 16 connected to the rear edge of each side wall by a doubly scored hinge portion 17. As also illustrated the upper front corners of the body are beveled at 18'for convenience of access. The file holder 10 may be provided, if desired, with a clip or lip (not shown) at the forward edge of the bottom portion 14 to prevent files from sliding out.

Referring now to FIGURES 5, 6 and '7, the rear member 12 is there shown in detail. It comprises a main or body portion 25 which is formed with four symmetrically arranged openings 26. In registry with each of the openings 26 is a guide member or wing 27 which has an L-shape in cross section (see FIGURE 7). Each wing 27 is parallel to and is spaced from the inner face of the body portion 25, as is most clearly shown in FIG- URES 6 and 7. The wings 27 provide four slots 28 for a purpose which is described hereinafter. If the rear member 12 is of metal construction the openings 26 and the wings 27 can be formed by punching and bending the metal. In the case of plastic construction the openings and wings will be formed by molding.

The rear member 12 has side walls or flanges or rims 29 and a bottom flange 30 extending between the two side walls 29. As best shown in FIG. 5 the rear member 12 has at its upper and rearward, edge a hanger member or suspension hook 31 which is formed by a rearwardly projecting flange 32 and a downwardly extending lip 33. As best shown in FIGURE 8 the tongue 33 has a tapered tip at 33a. Reinforcement ribs are provided at 34 (FIGURE 5) and at 35 (FIGURE 6). for added strength.

Referring now to FIGURE 3, a suspension framework is there shown which is designated generally by the reference numeral 40 and which comprises two or more vertical posts 41 (only one of which is shown) to which are attached one or more (preferably at least two) horizontal rails 42. Each of the horizontal rails 42 has a body portion 43 which is welded, bolted or otherwise suitably secured to the posts 41. At its lower end the rail 42 has a channel shaped hanger portion 44 which includes a bottom portion or web 45 and a vertical lip portion 46 (see FIGURE 8). The suspension framework 40 may be of any type desired but preferably it is that described in our copending application Serial No. 27,701, entitled Suspension Framework, filed May 9, 1960.

As indicated, the bodies 11 of the file containers 10 are shipped and stored in fiat condition as shown in FIGURE 4. When it is desired to assemble a body 11 and a rear member 12, the body is folded to the box-like configuration shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 and the flaps 16 are folded inwardly as shown in FIGURE 2. The rear closure member 12 is placed in the relative position shown in FIGURE 2 and the flaps 16 are guided into the slots 28. Then the rear member 12 is moved to the fully engaged position shown in FIGURE 1. By this means the file container is assembled into the operating condition shown in FIGURE 1. This operation can be accomplished with ease. Yet the file container 10 is strong, it has a high degree of rigidity and it provides a convenient holder for files. When it is desired to disassemble the parts of the file container as, for example, when it is desired to remove file containers which are not in use, or to replace a worn body 11 or a broken rear member 12, the two parts are disassembled merely by grasping the rear member 12 by hand and pulling on it relatively to the body portion 11 to disengage the flaps 16 from the slots 28.

As will be seen from FIGURE 3, the rails 42 are spaced so that the bottom, rear edge of each file container abuts and rests against the rail 42 next below. It will also be apparent that the filed containers can be caused to slide along the channels 44 to any desired position. As shown in FIGURE 8, the tip 33a of the lip 33 of each hanger hook 31 rests on the web 45 of channel 44. This facilitates the abovementioned sliding action and it lends strength to the hanger hook 31.

It will, therefore, be apparent that a file container has been provided which is collapsible, which in the disassembled condition can be easily stored, which can be assembled into operating condition very readily, which is efiicient for' the purpose, durable and rigid, and which can be disassembled with ease whenever desired.

We claim:

1. A file container of the character described comprising a body having a closed bottom, spaced side walls and an open top, back and front, the rear of said side wall having short foldable flaps, and having also a rigid 1T2}: closure extending between said side walls and subs" intially from top to bottom of the body and slidably receiving said flaps, said rear closure extending at its upper edge into a hook member adapted to hook onto a horizontal rail, to suspend a container therefrom and to permit sliding the container along said rail and including means for engaging said side walls and said closed bottom.

2. A collapsible file container of the character described comprising a body capable of assuming a fiat shape for storage and shipment and a folded, box-like shape for use, said body having a pair of spaced side walls, a bottom section extending between and hingedly connected to said side walls, an open top and an open front, said body also having a flap foldably connected to the rear edge of each side wall; said file container also comprising a rear closure and stiffener for the body, said rear closure comprising a main portion extending between the side walls of the folded body, said main portion being provided with slot means slidably receiving said flaps, with side flanges for holding said side walls in said spaced relationship and with stop means for engaging and seating said bottom section.

3. A collapsible file container of the character described comprising a cardboard body capable of assuming a fiat shape for storage and shipment and a folded box-like shape for use, said body having a pair of spaced side walls, a bottom section extending between and hingedly connected to said side walls, an open top and an open front, said body also having a flap foldably connected to the rear edge of each side wall; said file container also comprising a rear closure and stiffener for the body, said rear closure being of integral plastic construction and comprising a main portion extending between the side walls of the folded body, said main portion being provided with slot means for slidably receiving said flaps, with side flanges for holding said side walls in said spaced relationship and with stop means for engaging and seating said bottom section.

4. A collapsible file container of the character described comprising a cardboard body capable of assuming a fiat shape for storage and shipment and a folded, box-like shape for use, said body having a pair of spaced side walls, a bottom section extending between and hingedly connected to said side Walls, an open top and an open front, said body also having a flap foldably connected to the rear edge of each side wall; said file container also comprising a rear closure and stiffener for the body, said rear closure being of integral plastic construction and comprising a main portion extending between the side walls of the folded body, said main portion being provided with slot means for slidably receiving said flaps and with side and bottom flanges for engagement with said side walls and said bottom section, said rear closure also having a hook-like member at the top adapted to suspend the container from a horizontal rail.

5. A collapsible file container comprising a cardboard body and a rear closure, said cardboard body having spaced side walls, a bottom section connected to said side walls and a flap connected to the rear edge of each side wall, the connections between said bottom section and side walls and between each flap and its side wall being pliable to permit folding the body from a flat shape to a box-like shape with the side Walls perpendicular to the bottom section and with the flaps projecting inwardly toward one another; said rear closure having a main body portion adapted to close the rear of the folded body, a hook on its upper edge for hanging the container from a horizontal rail, slotted means on the interior face of said main body portion slidably receiving said fiaps and a rim embracing and cupping the rear margin of said side walls and bottom portion.

6. A collapsible file container comprising a cardboard body and a rear closure, said rear closure being of molded, integral plastic construction, said cardboard body having spaced side walls, a bottom section connected to said side walls and a flap connected to the rear edge of each side wall, the connections between said bottom section and side walls and between each flap and its side wall being pliable to permit folding the body from a fiat shape to a box-like shape with the side walls perpendicular to the bottom section and with the flaps projecting inwardly toward one another; said rear closure having a main body portion adapted to close the rear of the folded body, a hook on its upper edge for hanging the container from a horizontal rail, slotted means on the interior face of said main body portion slidably receiving said flaps and a rim embracing and cupping the rear margin of said side walls and bottom portion.

7. A collapsible file container comprising a foldable cardboard box and a rigid rear closure of integral plastic construction; said box having two side walls, a bottom section foldably connected to the side walls and a rear flap foldably connected to the rear edge of each side wall, said box being capable of assuming a fiat condition for storage and a folded condition for use, said box, when in folded condition, having its side walls substantially perpendicular to its bottom section and having its flaps projecting toward one another but spaced apart; said rear closure closing the rear of the folded box and having slot means for sliding reception of each folded flap, said rear closure also having a hook on its upper end for slidably hanging the container from a horizontal rail and including projecting means for engagement with the outer surfaces of said two side walls and said bottom section.

8. A collapsible file container comprising a foldable cardboard body and a rigid rear closure of integral plastic construction; said body having two side walls, a bottom section foldably connected to the side walls and a rear flap foldably connected to the rear edge of each side wall, said body being capable of assuming a fiat condition for storage and a folded condition for use, said body, when in folded condition, having its side walls substantially perpendicular to its bottom section and having its flaps projecting toward one another but spaced apart; said rear closure being adapted to close the rear of the folded body and having slot means for sliding reception of each folded flap, and having also a rim embracing the rear margins of the side walls and bottom section of the folded body to cup and support the same.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,265,618 Adams Dec. 9, 1941 2,590,732 Simancik Mar. 25, 1952 2,894,640 Bigelow July 14, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 555,410 Belgium Mar. 15, 1957 555,616 Great Britain Aug. 31, 1943 

